No, not the kind meant for alleviating the woes of solving algebraic equations—the kind that can help you create better leads.

In this month’s webinar, we took a closer look at interactive calculators and the strategies you can use to make them successful in your lead generation efforts. In the 20-minute live session we tackled the problem that keeps marketers guessing as content marketing continues to evolve: what truly makes a good lead, and how can we make our leads the best that they can be?

What Is an Interactive Calculator?

Interactive calculators are a great tool for lead generation, as they are built to solve problems and answer questions for those in the mid-stage of the buyer’s journey. When a consumer is still weighing options, a calculator can provide terrific insight into things like cost savings or ROI. The outcome of the calculator can be the final push they need toward making a purchase.

A calculator example from Cengage.

As the user answers questions about their needs or concerns, the calculator will prepare a result. So whether you’re looking for insights into your prospects’ time or pricing needs, the calculator can be easily customized to both surface the data you’re looking for and provide your prospect with the answers they want.

3 Tips for Lead Generating Success

So, how can we use interactive calculators to generate great leads? As we discussed in our webinar, there are tons of ways to get the results you’re looking for, though nearly everything loops back to the highly customizable nature of interactive content—e.g., testing, testing, testing!

Here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Gate the Calculator

Gating a calculator right off the bat is a bold move, though it can pay off with great results. If the information you’re dealing with is complex, the data provided right off the bat can give your sales team valuable insights to start a conversation.

2. Send the Results Via Email

Another strategy for lead generation is to send calculator results via email. Give the user the option to share results with a co-worker or friend via email, or even to simply email the results to themselves.

3. Link to Related Content

Ever fallen down a “Suggested Content” rabbit hole on YouTube? (Ever watched figure skating from the 1984 Olympics for no apparent reason other than it being suggested to you?) Think of this a much more targeted version that provides visitors with highly relevant content that will complement the experience they are currently in. Run an A/B test, one with the suggested content section and one without, to see how valuable the extra offers were to your users.

Calculating Great Leads

Interactive calculators are a great way to create deeper lead profiles while giving valuable information to your consumer. Information given in a calculator serves as conversation fodder for your sales team, informing them on a prospect’s needs and pain points before they even pick up the phone.